The
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Respect for the
integrity of creation
2415 The seventh
commandment [thou shalt not steal] enjoins respect for the integrity of
creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined
for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the
mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced
from respect for moral imperatives. Man's dominion over inanimate and other
living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by
concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to
come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.
2416 Animals are God's
creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere
existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We
should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or
St. Philip Neri treated animals.
2417 God entrusted
animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. 197
Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be
domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific
experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains
within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human
lives.
2418 It is contrary to
human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise
unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief
of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the
affection due only to persons.
Papal and
Vatican Statements
Declaration on
the Environment
Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople
June 10, 2002.
Peace with
God the Creator, Peace with All Creation
Pope John Paul II, World Peace Day, January 1, 1990.
USCCB Statements
Global Climate Change:
A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good
United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 15, 2001
Renewing the
Earth
United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops
November 14, 1991
Caring for
God's Creation Project
A Program for Environmental Justice
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1993.
Regional
Statements
The Columbia River Watershed:
Caring for Creation and the Common Good
A Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops of the Region. 2001.
At Home in the
Web of Life:
A Pastoral Message on Sustainable Communities in Appalachia
Catholic Bishops of Appalachia, 1996.
This Land is Home to Me
A Pastoral Letter from the Catholic Bishops of Appalachia, 1975
International Statements
What's
happening to Our Beautiful Land
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, 1988.
A New Earth: An Environmental Challenge
Australian Bishops Conference, 2002.
The Call of Creation: God's Invitation and the
Human Response:
The Natural Environment and Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Bishops Conference of England
and Wales, 2002.
You Love All That Exists
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2003.
Ecumenical Statements
Environmental Racism
United Methodist Church, 2004.
Additional Resources
See Donald
Garring's Web Site on the Environment
A
Bibliography on Religion and Ecology
Catholic Social
Teaching
Chryssavgis, J. Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer:
The Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch, Bartholomew I.
Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2003.
Himes, Michael J and Himes, Kenneth R. “The Sacrament of
Creation:
Toward an Environmental Theology.”
Commonweal 117 (26 January 1990): 42-49.
Keenan, Marjorie, Ed. From Stockholm to Johannesburg:
A Historical Overview of the Concern of the Holy See for the Environment,
1972-2002.
Vatican City: Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2002.
John Paul II. The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility.
Washington, DC: USCC, 1990.
John Paul II and
Bartholomew I. Declaration on the Environment. Available at
< http://conservation.catholic.org/declaration.htm>
Ecumenical Perspectives
Barnhill, David and Gottlieb,
Roger, eds. Deep Ecology and World Religions:
New Essays on Sacred Grounds.
Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2001.
Barnhill, David L, et al. Buddhism and Ecology:
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Boff, Leonardo. Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997.
Boff, Leonardo. Ecology and Liberation: A New Paradigm.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995.
Edwards, Dennis. Ecology at the Heart of Faith.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2006.
Gottlieb, Roger. The Oxford
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New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Hessel, Dieter T., ed. Theology for Earth Community:
A Field Guide.
Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003.
Hessel, D and Reuther, M.
Christianity and Ecology:
Seeking the Well-Being of Earth and Humans.
Cambridge, MA:
Harvard Center for the Study of
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Habito, Ruben L. F. Healing Breath: Zen
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Lodge, David and Hamlin,
Christopher, eds. Religion and the New Ecology:
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South Bend, IN:
University of Notre Dame Press, 2006.
Tucker, Mary Evelyn. Worldly Wonder:
Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase.
Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing, 2007.
Waldau, P. & Patton, K. A
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New York: Columbia University Press, 2007.
Weaver, Jace, ed. Defending Mother Earth:
Native American Perspectives on Environmental Justice.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis
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Webb, Benjamin S., ed. Fugitive Faith:
Conversations on Spiritual, Environmental, and Community Renewal
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